Heart of Gold
by FishShips
Summary: Midas Millerson's Junior Year is starting, and it looks like his life is going to change. With Hero Pairings close at hand, he will have to deal with jealous girls, insane villains, and one "Hero" he just can't seem to escape.
1. Welcome Back (Super) Students

The boy standing at the corner of the street seemed to shimmer. Everything he wore reflected a golden light. He swept bright blond hair out of his face and checked his watch. In a matter of seconds, an old yellow school bus turned the corner and stopped in front of him with a squeal of brakes. The boy stepped onto the bus, giving a curt nod to Ron Wilson, Bus Driver. There were a lot of freshmen this year, the boy thought, looking for a familiar face. He finally found someone and sat down next to another guy wearing a garish neon green t-shirt that somehow complemented his white hair.

"Hey Zach," the blond said quickly, fiddling with his gold gloves. "Beginning of Junior Year. Long time, no see. You worried?"  
"You're joking, right, Midas? I am SO NOT worried that I am the total opposite of worried, bro." Zach's huge gestures got a smile from Midas. For a moment, with their pale skin, blond hair, and bright grins, they looked like they could almost be brothers. The moment was shattered when Midas raised an eyebrow.

"You do realize that you can't get paired with Magenta?"  
Zach's face fell as the concept of Hero Pairing finally caught up to him.

It happened on the first day of junior year at Sky High, and it was the beginning of every student's life as a hero. Or a sidekick. Based on a performance they would each do today, each member of the Hero Class would be partnered with a member of Hero Support today. These groups, barring events of catastrophic proportions, would be permanent. But the idea only fazed Zach for a moment before he shrugged.

"Doesn't change a…"  
Zach's voice caught for a second when the bus drove over a cliff and activated its jets, taking to sky.  
"Thing," he finished.  
"Really," Layla chimed in. Her bright red hair bounced from the seat behind them. "Well, I actually _am _a bit worried about partners."  
"Give me a break," Midas joked. "We all know you're going to get paired with Will. Don't even try to deny it, Green Thumb."  
"And it's a shame he still sticks with you losers," someone else added.

Layla groaned when she looked at the face that hovered over her shoulder. Will, who had been resting against the window, opened his eyes and glared at Lash.  
"And I'm surprised you didn't fail out last year."

The extendable boy laughed, a deep, growling sort of noise that made Midas start. He turned to face Lash with a look of scarcely concealed annoyance.

"Can you stop being a total dick?"  
"Or what, Golden Boy? Gonna arrest me for talking to you?"  
"No. But I will make you shut up," Midas said icily, removing his right glove like a surgeon after an operation.

"Ooooh… Scary," Lash drawled, "Sidekick here's gonna-"

His eyes showed his surprise as Midas put a finger on his lips. Lines of gold spread from the point of contact like cracks on an icy lake. In a second, Lash's mouth was sealed shut by his new metal lips. Midas drew his finger back with a slight smirk, while Lash made muffled sounds of anger before reeling his head back to his body, three rows behind them.

"Yeah, man!" Zach shouted his approval and high fived Midas. The boy's eyes widened the instant Zach touched him and he pulled away quickly. The damage was already done, though. Gold radiated from Zach's palm, twining its way into his fingers and wrist and rendering his hand completely immobile. Magenta glared at the blond, Midas was already apologizing, waving his hands around frantically as he tried to explain.

"I am so sorry, Zach! I was just trying to get him to shut up and then you and then I couldn't get out of the way fast enough and, it's my fault."  
He took a deep breath before continuing, not noticing the trails of gold he had left on the bus seat.

"But please don't worry. It'll wear off in a few minutes."  
"It's all good, man," Zach laughed, flashing his working hand up in a thumbs up. Midas looked at Zach's ridiculous grin, and a small smile played across his face. Even Magenta allowed herself a smirk.

The bus slowed down, landing in front of the looming 'Sky High' sign, and rolling into the parking lot. Dozens of other buses were already there, letting students out, and it looked like the year wouldn't start out with anything too crazy. Friends were seeing each other for the first time since the beginning of summer break, and the air was warm, even at this altitude. Midas looked out at the school and sighed. This year was going to be a good one, he thought.

That blissfully ignorant thought lasted about four seconds before Zach nudged him in the rib. Midas turned around and looked him in the eyes, then quickly looked down.

"What is it, Zach?"  
"I'm just wondering who I'm getting paired with. Bet you are too."  
"So," Midas said dryly, "you are worried."  
"Not."  
"Are."  
"Not."  
"Are."

Their little argument was cut short by Ron Wilson, Bus Driver, who opened the bus doors onto the first day of the (Super) School Year. Students surged out of the bus, pulling Zach and Midas along with them. Their disagreement was forgotten as they stepped through the halls. Magenta joined them as they passed the gym, where the freshmen were filing in for power placement. They shuddered collectively as they remembered the day two years earlier. Layla and Ethan met them outside the auditorium, which was where they would showcase their powers today.

"Will and Warren are already in there, preparing for the Hero displays" Layla told them, before they could start looking around for their other friends.

"Show offs," Zach grumbled.

"It's not their fault they're in Hero Class."  
"And it's not my fault you're blocking us from going in to see them," Magenta shot back.  
"Oh. Sorry. Go ahead."

Everyone made their way in, but when Midas tried to walk in, Layla grabbed him by the arm and pulled him in close. She whispered gently in his ear.

"You need to get your thing for Zach under control, Midas. Magenta's starting to get annoyed with you, and I really don't want to see you two get in a fight. It would be terrible. Now go ahead."

She said the last part with a smile, pushing Midas gently into the auditorium.

**This is the first chapter I've written, ever. So please, do review. I need to get better. And if you like what I do, don't be afraid to like the story too. Another chapter tomorrow.**


	2. Hero Displays

Lash Livingston does not take defeat gracefully.

The flexible Hero strode across the auditorium again and again, each time in only three massive steps. He figured he would need to stretch before his expo. Between each step, he fumed. He thought back to the bus, and that ridiculous sidekick with the nerve to touch him. He relished the thought of shoving the boy into a locker, and licked his lips at the image that came into his mind. Then he stopped, as his tongue brushed something solid. The effects of that morning's sidekick encounter had mostly worn off, as he could talk again, but a look in a mirror revealed the specks of gold still on his mouth. He was so going to get back at that kid, Lash thought. In fact, as he got back to walking, he was already forming a plan. A sudden, earsplitting racket came from behind him, breaking his concentration. Lash turned his head completely around to see what had happened.

It seemed that Stronghold had just dropped one of the ridiculously oversized weights that he had been flying through the rafters.

"Way to go, Super Klutz," Lash shouted up at him.  
"Thanks," Stronghold replied, narrowing his eyes, "Can I give you some advice? You might want to clean your mouth off. There's a little something there. Looks like… leftover Shut Up."

Lash rolled his eyes at Stronghold's weak attempt at an insult, and made his way to his expo post, remembering all the things he had planned. He flashed a grin at Speed before concentrating again on what he would do. Out of the corners of his eyes he saw Stronghold and the rest of Hero Class settle into their positions. Then the bell rang, and Hero Displays began. The sea of sidekicks milled between posts, stopping momentarily at any heroes who caught their attention. _Time to go_, he told himself as the crowd surged past him.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Lash announced, cordoning off a swath of sidekicks with his enormous reach, "Nice to meet you."

He gave the crowd a smile, and saw a few teachers with clipboards scattered in the crush of students. He was already being judged. Quick as a whip, Lash pulled his arms back and began his act.

"The name's Lash," he said jokingly, "but you probably already knew that. Now I think I'll get to the part that you're really interested in. After all, no villain can escape the long arm of the law, especially when it's my arm."

He let loose a storm of punches on a dummy tucked carefully behind the crowd, pounding it into the floor in a blur of black and white. When Lash drew back, he knew that he had their attention. He grinned out into his captive audience.

"I can do more than that though," he told them, stepping over the crowd on elongated legs to stand next to the dummy.  
"In fact, to showcase my more amazing talents, I'm going to need an assistant."

His left arm still dangled above the crowd like a claw in a carnival game, until he spotted a familiar, and irritating head of bright blond hair.

"How about you?"

The boy didn't even have time to look shocked, as Lash had the sidekick wrapped in his arm in an instant. His head and feet were the only things visible outside the coils of white and black. Lash lifted the kid from his place and slung him around the ceiling until he started to look vaguely green.

"As you can see," Lash stated, "I'm much stronger than I look." He paused then; he carried his lassoed sidekick back to the stage. Lash unwound his arm from the boy quickly, spinning him around like a top. But before the sidekick, could fall over, Lash steadied him with a firm hand, pulling him to his side.

"What the fuck are you doing?" the kid whispered in his ear.  
"Putting on a show," Lash muttered back. "Now go along with it, or I will make your life a living Hell for the next two years."  
"You've already done a pretty good job of that for the past two," the boy said coolly.  
"Believe me," Lash hissed, "I can do much worse."

The sidekick paled when Lash suddenly threw him into the air, and for a moment Lash considered letting the kid hit the ground. But as the boy flailed and fell, Lash felt a twinge of pity. Right before the blond could hit the ground he reached out and caught him, on the other side of the gym. Lash hauled the sidekick back to the stage, and set him back on his feet. Then, grinning wildly, he turned back to the crowd.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming to see me, the Amazing Lash! Now please, go on and see whoever else you think might be worth your time, or whatever."

The crowd dispersed, wandering off to other showcases with looks of mild concern. Lash turned to the sidekick, opening his mouth to shout at the kid. Instead, the blond punched him in the chest, hard. He already felt the hard metal of the boy's glove leaving a bruise under his shirt. He tried not to wince, but he did cringe a little. The sidekick smirked at his pain.

"You're an ass," Lash told him.  
"I could say the same about you." The blond haired boy stated, walking off the stage with purpose.

As soon as the kid was gone, Lash reached across to the dummy and began pounding the hell out of it. He didn't care that Hero Displays were still going on. He just wanted to mutilate that asshole of a sidekick as bad as he did the figurine, because Lash Livingston doesn't get even. He gets ahead. He let that thought calm him as he tore the dummy to shreds. When he finally finished, he noticed the large crowd that had gathered around him. He gave them a quick smile, and asked them to leave. In a matter of seconds, the bell rang again, and Hero Displays were over.

Sidekick Trials would be in fifteen minutes.

**And thus begins a fresh, new relationship. Things may or may not change from here. There's a reason I didn't specify any pairings. As with anything I do, I appreciate responses, and absolutely love follows. But only follow if you like it. Do as you do. Ugh. I sound like a motivational poster. Next Chapter, _Sidekick Trials_, will be sometime this week, as I have Finals, but don't really need to study.**


	3. Sidekick Trials

Midas Millerson is not an aggressive person, usually.

The blond sidekick glanced quickly at his friend, who was busily describing how he was going to make the heroes beg for him to be their support. Midas let Zach keep talking, but secretly he had slipped in his earbuds and was trying his hardest not to let his friend find out. Glad that Zach wasn't a mind-reader, he sang along in his head as they walked to their stations.

_I wanna feel alive forever after…_

Midas found his position and stood cautiously on the stage. Looking around the room, he saw Zach standing just three platforms away. He felt his heart pound a bit harder when the glowing boy looked at him and smiled. Brown eyes met green for an instant before Midas looked away, his face burning with embarrassment. He tried to regain his calm, but when he closed his eyes, images of Zach still flashed through his head. Bright, confident, funny Zach who was dating Magenta, and who would never in a million years like **him**.

_You say you wanna feel alive forever after…_

Midas opened his eyes and looked into the gathering crowd of heroes. Will would be in there, he noted, feeling glad for his dorky, hero friend. Hundreds of students would be paired today, and someone in that crowd was stuck with him. The sidekick ran a gloved hand through his hair, and breathed, calming himself down.

_Follow the light to the edge and the af –_

The bell rang suddenly, startling Midas into action. He took his earbuds out and stuffed them none too gently into his pocket. Then with a fluid motion, he took off his gloves. He took a moment to look around. As Sidekick Trials got under way, heroes and teachers filed through the auditorium. Occasionally, some would stop for a moment, to see if a sidekick was worthwhile. They tended to lose interest after a couple of seconds. Midas ignored the apparent apathy, kneeling down and placing his hands on the surface of the stage.

Gold instantly began to spread from his palms and fingers. Tendrils of lustrous metal seemed to weave themselves across the stage, each strand branching out into multiple glimmering lines of the stuff. In a matter of seconds, the entire stage was pure gold. The lights that hung from the rafters made the platform gleam like a polished mirror, and several heroes stopped to look.

"Gold," Midas said calmly, rising to his feet slowly and scanning the crowd. "Elemental symbol: Au, Atomic Number: 79."

He spread his arms wide, and gold dust drifted from between his fingers. He made his way to the stairs, and walked down into the crowd of heroes.

"It's a nice metal, malleable, ductile, and extremely conductive. Long held to be the most perfect of all elements. And it is my power alone to use it." He took a calculated pause before he carried on.

"My name is Midas, and everything I touch turns to gold."

He made his way back to the stage and looked out into his crowd. He felt confident in his ability to keep their attention, and prepared to launch into the second half of his performance. Then he caught sight of Lash. The jerk was hovering at the edge of the crowd, brown eyes glimmering with malicious intent. Midas felt his mouth go bone dry as he forgot what he was about to say. He looked around nervously for a few seconds, unsure of what to do. Heroes began giving him weird looks, and a few starting moving a way. The sidekick tried desperately to remember what he had planned on doing, cursing Lash for screwing him over. A moment later, Midas was thanking the heavens for the douchebag, who had inspired his plan to salvage this mess. He saw a black and white striped arm makes its way onto the platform, and he pretended not to notice as it slinked toward his ankle. His smile gleamed brighter than the stage when he spoke.

"Of course," he said evenly, "telling you guys about my power is nowhere near as cool as showing it to you. I think I'm going to need a volunteer. How about you, in the stripes? You look pretty brave."

Midas saw the hand retract, but he still had Lash in a bind. The entire crowd was now staring at the elastic boy. Looking particularly displeased, the Volunteer took a long step up to the stage. Midas could see a brilliant light from a few stages away, and he smiled briefly. Zach had gone nova during his performance. He allowed himself a moment of joy for his friend before returning his attention to his own act.

"Hold out your arm," Midas instructed, and the Hero reluctantly did so.

"Now comes the cool part," the Sidekick told his audience. Moving slowly, Midas took hold of the Hero's wrist. On contact, lines of gold began to trace their way down Lash's arm, replacing bands of black and white with solid colored metal. It only took a few moments for his entire shirt to turn gold, and it was clear in his eyes that he didn't like the color change.

"As you can see," Midas addressed the crowd, "this boy's shirt has turned to solid gold. This should keep him from moving, right? Wrong. Try moving for us, please."

Lash glared at him, but still listened, finding full range of motion in his now gold shirt. Midas looked at his captive volunteer with a look of sheer amusement. He dropped Lash a mocking smirk before turning back to his audience.

"The reason why he can move is that each individual fiber in his shirt is now a strand of gold thread. Almost everything that I touch retains its previous properties in texture and motion. The only things that don't - are living things. Now bear with me," he stated, "my powers work a little slower on people."

With a long practiced motion, he pushed up Lash's sleeve, and grabbed his arm. Gold crept up the Hero's skin and down his hand. The transformation was slow, but after a while, Midas let go. It looked like Lash's arm was covered in a golden, elbow length glove. But when Midas instructed him to move it, the strain on his face made it obvious that he couldn't. Midas' enjoyment couldn't have been greater.

When the crowd left, Midas smirked at the flexible boy.

"Now we're even," he said flatly.  
"I'm pretty sure that paralyzing me doesn't make it even," Lash snarled, "Now tell me how I can use my arm again, or else."  
"Well," Midas said slowly, "what you're going to need to do is wait. It _should_ wear off in an hour or two."  
"You're joking right?"  
"No. There isn't anything to do but wait. I would say sorry," Midas stated, "but I would be lying."

Lash glared at the boy, and stormed off.

"Fuck you," he called over his shoulder.

Midas grinned at his success. Then, after a few seconds of reveling in his glory, he got up to find his friends. He was dying to see how they thought they had done. Plus, the teachers wouldn't finish deciding their pairings for another half hour, and Midas didn't want to spend the time alone.

**Thanks everyone, for sticking out those rough two days between the chapters. I've gotten my first reviews, and feel ready to keep up with this story as I begin to branch out. I love reviews, and follows are beautiful things, but still, only follow if you like my story. **

**Thanks, **

**FishShips**


	4. And Now, the Moment We've All Waited For

Lash Livingston does not appreciate the authorities.

"I nailed that display," Speed told him as they combed the auditorium hallway for freshmen.  
"Of course, it really sucks that I manage to whip up a tornado during a display, but not when I try to in Save the Citizen."  
"Whatever," Penny said, appearing on either side of the boys, "It's not like you lost or something."  
"I would've pounded them, though," Speed whined.

Finding no freshmen or sidekicks to torment, the trio pushed through the front doors and walked outside. Lash groaned when he saw what was outside. The sky above the school had turned a stormy gray, even though Lash could have sworn it had been blue thirty seconds earlier. Penny looked at the storm with disapproval, shaking her heads.

"Looks like Duncan and Tiana broke up again."  
"Doesn't matter," Lash said before stepping out onto the grass. "They'll probably make up before it even starts raining."  
"You are so right," Penny said with a smirk.  
"They SO do this sort of thing all the time," Penny replied.  
"Who cares?" Speed shouted.

Lash had to grin when he saw his friend eating someone's lunch at a table across the field.

"No one," he answered, making his way to the table in two long strides. He sat down across from Speed and held out his left hand, careful to keep his immobilized appendage in his pocket while the sidekick's power wore off. Speed tossed him a bagged sandwich, and he gave his partner in crime a nod of thanks. Lash took the sandwich out of the bag, and then stopped, and looked at it with narrowed eyes. Then, he threw it back at Speed.

"What part of the word 'Vege-Fucking-Tarian' do you not understand?"  
"The 'Fucking' part, I think," Speed quipped back, taking a huge bite out of the sandwich.  
Lash rolled his eyes, sticking his hand out again. His friend passed him a single grape.  
"Very funny, Speed," he deadpanned.

Speed finally tossed him his share of the spoils. He ended up with a cheese stick and the whole container of grapes, which he immediately began to toss into the air and catch in his mouth. Penny joined them a few minutes later, snatching a grape from the air and taking the remaining seats. Lash kept up with about half of the gossip she chattered about. It was an impressive feat, he considered, as there were three of her talking at once. Speed, on the other hand, looked completely lost. The sky cleared as she carried on, and Lash started to regain feeling in his hand. He flexed his fingers and pulled his hand from his pocket. His hand looked completely normal, save for a few flakes of gold, but from the wrist up, his arm was still mostly metal. He pulled his sleeve down to cover it and returned his attention to Penny. Luckily, he was spared any further dirty secrets by the ringing of the bell.

Lash caught the last of the grapes in his mouth before lazily getting to his feet. He stretched, bending backwards until his head stuck out from between his legs, and then snapped back to standing normally. The three juniors began walking back to the auditorium. Lash raised an eyebrow at Speed, trying to convey his message without words. Unfortunately, his friend just was not that intuitive.

"Guess it's time for Pairing," he said slowly, trying to hide his nervousness behind a mask of apathy.  
"Yeah," Speed said, "I guess it is."  
"I hope I get that girl who can light her finger on fire," Lash said with false bravado, "Because she is smokin'!"  
"Mmmhmmm," Speed added with a raised eyebrow, "Tell me more."  
"Whatever," he stated quickly, "I don't care _that_ much."  
"Of course you don't," Penny said sarcastically.

"Guys," Speed said suddenly, "we should probably hurry. The Pairing starts in two minutes. Later."

He dashed off in a blur of blue, leaving Lash and Penny in the dust. Lash got to stepping, carrying Penny as he ran off on lengthened legs. They got to the auditorium with a minute to spare. He put her down before opening the door.

The auditorium looked completely different. The numerous stages had been removed, and a single pedestal stood in the middle of the room with about two hundred empty chairs in front of it. In the bleachers to his right, Lash could see the entirety of the Sidekick Junior Class. On his left were the heroes. Teachers ringed the floor. Looking through the Hero bleachers, Lash spotted Speed waving at him, indicating an empty seat next to him. It was a stretch, but Lash managed to make it to the spot before anyone else could take it. A few more stragglers made their way into the auditorium before the bell rang.

As soon as the ringing stopped, the ball of light that was Principal Powers floated onto the podium. She looked around at the students, and the room fell silent. Then, she began her speech.

"Congratulations to you, Junior Class of Sky High. You have all come so far in your education to make it to this point. As of today, you are starting your lives as new heroes. And of course, you will meet your new partners from the wonderful students of Hero Support. As we pair you together, remember, there is a hero in all of us, no matter the power. Now let us begin."

She got a smattering of applause before she continued.

"When I call your names, please come down, meet your partner, and take a seat." She pointed out at the chairs in front of her.

"Ian Aaron," she called out. Speed stood up and began picking a path down to the auditorium floor, disgruntled by his full name.  
"You will be paired with Zachary Hellenstern."

Lash saw the sidekick stand up, and remembered him as the one who could glow. The kid strode confidently down the steps before tripping, and falling down the last two rows to the floor. Despite the laughter of the crowd, Glow Boy picked himself up off the floor and dusted himself off. Then he sauntered up to the podium to, greet Speed, if you can call a look of barely concealed loathing a greeting. They moved to the seats below the platform as Principal Powers called out the next duo. Lash watched the heroes in the bleachers thin out as they were called to meet their sidekicks. Penny Chase was paired with Lance Adams, a guy who could float three inches off the ground. Lash felt a little bit bad for her. Then Jason Gardner, a boy with the power to spit acid, was paired with the flame fingered sidekick girl, and Lash felt his heart sink.

"Alexander Livingston."

Lash took a moment to recognize his own name. Then, with the stiff motions of someone who has been sitting in the same position for far too long, he stood up and stepped over the rows of heroes to the floor. He felt his stomach turn as he waited for Principal Powers to say her next words.

"You will be paired with Midas Millerson."

Lash had to keep his jaw from hitting the ground when the sidekick who had turned his arm to gold stood up, and started stepping down the stairs. The little slime climbed onto the stage and gave Lash a gloved handshake. The boy's eyes were glittered with cold amusement.

"I didn't know your name was Alex," he said, just loud enough for Lash to hear. This was going to suck, completely and utterly.

**Another day, another chapter. Four chapters of setup is a lot, but things will get better from here. Please, review, and if you find me worthy, follow or favorite. There might be some delays as I will be on vacation for the weekend, but I'll update if I can. **

**FishShips**


	5. Well Intentioned Detention

Midas Millerson hates gold.

Midas and his partner sat in icy silence, while Principal Powers continued calling out names. He grinned when Warren was paired with Ethan, and he just shook his head and sighed when Will kissed Layla onstage. His partner kept looking around, like he was ready to leave. Midas could not have agreed with him more. Finally, Aiden Zhang got his partner, Principal Powers floated out of the room, and Hero Pairing was finished. Midas stood up quickly, intending to make a break for it. But before he could sprint out, Coach Boomer took the stage. The coach placed a massive stack of papers on the podium. The speakers blew out when he shouted into the microphone.

"Alright," he started gruffly, "I have been given the task of giving you all your junior schedules."  
He paused for a moment, and Midas relaxed. That came too early, as his ears were under assault as soon as he took his hands away.  
"But, I just dealt with the whiner babies in power placement. So," Boomer threw the papers into the crowd of students. "Find Your Own!"

Everyone scrambled for their schedules while Boomer walked out of the auditorium. Midas dove into the fray, scanning the ground for his name. People were shouting if anyone had their schedule, and someone was sending small tornadoes into the pile, sweeping papers into the air, and generally worsening the chaos. Midas had to keep moving to avoid being pulled out. He was shoved to the ground, and felt the air leave his lungs in a harsh blast. Then, under Larry's foot, he saw the letters – ILLERSON.

"Found it," he exclaimed, grabbing desperately for the slip of paper. His fingers curled around the page like a lifeline as he fought his way back out of the crowd. Midas wiped the sweat from his face and left the auditorium without looking back. He unfolded the paper carefully, noticing the high quality and apparent effort that had been put into making it. Midas read the contents of the sheet aloud while he walked to his locker.

"Congratulations on reaching your Junior Year at Sky High. Your first years here were spent on personal achievement and power development. Your last will be focused on mutual cooperation and advanced team building."  
Midas did not like where this was going, and he choked out the last few sentences in front of his locker.  
"In order to promote beneficial partner relations, all students are given schedules identical to those of their partners. Furthermore, hero pairs are graded and disciplined as a single entity. Have a super year!  
The schedule for Alexander Livingston and Midas Millerson is as follows…"

Midas skimmed through the rest of the paper, opening his locker with his free hand and taking out the textbooks he would need for first period Mad Science. He tried to push the idea of dealing with the rubber idiot for the next two years out of his head. Instead, he jogged over to his friends' lockers and listened as Layla berated Will for kissing her so obviously.

"The most patriarchal, fascist, objectifying thing you could ever do," Maj mouthed mockingly, behind Layla's back. Even Warren, usually stoic, got a grin out of Will's look of baffled terror at his girlfriend. Midas tuned them out and turned his attention to Zach.

"How do you like the whole partner thing?" Midas asked him.

It took his friend a moment to stop staring at Magenta imitating Layla, and another few seconds to recognize the question he had asked.

"Bro, Speed is a total asshole," Zach started, "but at least he gets that I hate him. And you totally know that he doesn't like me either, so we got our shit together like, uhhhh, something that's really together. Like Will and Layla, yeah bro. So, what about you, man? What's up with you and Lash, huh?"

The ten minute bell saved Zach from the tirade he was about to receive. Midas grabbed his books and hurried to the lab. He made it with two minutes to spare, which he considered a success, seeing as he had only been there a few times, when Mr. Boy had sent him to get various gadgets for cleaning. Midas looked around and saw a couple familiar faces in the room, but no one he knew particularly well. It was only by the time that he sat down in an open seat in the middle of the room that he realized his partner still had not shown up.

_A Hero Pair Is Graded And Disciplined As A Single Entity._

The though hit Midas like a bullet, and he sprinted out of the room to find the jackass who was not going to ruin his grades this early in the school year. He checked all the bathrooms at high speed, expecting the extendable boy to be giving some underclassman a swirly. He found nothing except for an unflushed toilet. As he rushed out of the bathroom he spotted a familiar striped arm disappearing around a corner. The bell rang, and Midas dashed after his partner, catching up to the jerk as he was walking out of the school. The tall boy glared at him when Midas grabbed his arm. Midas glared right back.

"Why the hell are you grabbing me?" the boy hissed.  
"Why the hell are you not in class?"  
The striped douchebag rolled his eyes.  
"If I was in class I wouldn't be skipping class right, now would I?"  
"It's the first day. Who skips on the first day?"  
"I do, obviously."  
"Well not today, Alex. I am not going to fail Mad Science because you are a narcissistic shit."

The look his partner gave him could have rivaled laser vision, and Midas was sure that his retort would be worse. Unfortunately, he would never know, because before his partner opened his mouth, Principal Powers appeared over his shoulder. Her face was stern, and she sounded exasperated when she spoke.

"Mr. Livingston, class has started. Students need to be in the classroom during their classes, not leaving the school. You just earned yourself a detention."  
Her gaze shifted to Midas, and he felt the sweat break out on his back.  
"And you," she said, "Mr. Millerson. I would have expected better. Apparently, you are easily influenced by your partner. So, you will be joining him. Follow."

She led them through the building, her heels clicking on the floor with frightening volume. Midas stared daggers at his partner's back, but the tall boy seemed not to care. Midas figured that the guy was probably used to getting detention. He, on the other hand, was not. By the time Principal Powers stopped them in front of the detention room, his heart was ready to explode. The door opened into a small white room with two desks, and she waved them in seriously. Midas was almost ready to freak out, but his partner simply sat down in an open desk and closed his eyes.

"This room will nullify your powers," she stated, "so you two just sit there, and think about what you have done. I will be back in an hour."

She closed the door on them, and the room started to hum gently. The effect was instantaneous. The gold vanished from Midas' clothes, and he grinned when he saw what he was wearing. His t-shirt was actually a light blue, and it hung loosely over his washed out, green skinny jeans. He started to laugh when he pulled off the long white gloves and touched the walls. No metallic streaks trailed from his fingers, and he sighed with relief. He moved about for several minutes, before sitting down in the open desk.

From the other desk, his partner cracked an eyelid, and looked at him curiously.

"What are you so happy about," He growled, "don't you want to go to class?"  
"Yeah. But my power's not working, so I don't feel like a walking piece of glitter."  
"Ugh," the striped boy groaned, his eyes flickering around the tiny room.  
"Seriously," Midas replied, "All the witty replies when I was mad, and now, nothing?"  
"Uhhng," the guy grumbled, his eyes still darting around the enclosed space. "Fuck. You," he gritted through clenched teeth.

His partner opened his eyes fully, to give him a killer stare. But it dissolved quite quickly when he started looking around the room anxiously. Midas watched as the taller boy closed his eyes again, pulling his head to his desk shakily, and breathing rapidly. An idea started to form in his head, but he took a moment to say it aloud.

"Are you… scared?"  
"No. I am not scared. There's not even anything to be afraid of."  
His words came quickly, and he did not open his eyes. Needless to say, Midas found his words difficult to believe.

"Alex," he repeated, "Are you scared?"  
"What part of the word no don't you understand?"  
"What part of the fact that I'm trying to help you don't you understand?"

Midas stretched and placed a hand on the other student's shoulder.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" the flexible boy growled, "Did I ask you to touch me?"  
"Well you haven't done anything to stop it, Alex," Midas stated.  
"Whatever," came the response, "I don't care enough to move your hand away. Just stop calling me that."  
"It's your name, isn't it?"

The rubber boy slammed his head into the desk repeatedly.  
"You are unbearable."

Midas did not have time to talk back before the door slid open. Principal Powers stood outside the door with a look of satisfaction. Inside the room, Midas stood up quickly and moved to stand in the doorway. His elastic associate slowly peeled open an eyelid and stretched out his arms before slinking out of his chair and walking up to the principal.

"You two can go now," she said flatly, "Oh, and I am sorry if it was a little cramped. I forgot to reset the room to fit two people. Now carry on, you have second period."

With that, she transformed into a ball of light, and zipped away. Midas stepped out into the hall and smirked.

"Glad that's over," he said evenly.  
"Really," the other boy questioned, pointing at his person.

Midas looked down to see that his clothes had already returned to their metallic state, and groaned.

"Way to burst my bubble, Alex."  
"What else did you expect? And, seriously, don't call me that."

Midas ignored him.  
"I don't know. Maybe I expected that we could make it to History of Heroes on time?"  
"Of course you would, small fry."  
"We are going to make it on time."  
"Whatever."

**Sorry about the several days' wait, but I took a break for Momocon and stuff happened. So, in apology, I wrote a somewhat longer chapter. As usual, replies are cool and you should totally give me some. And if you like the story, follow it or favorite it. I will get back to my chapter a day policy tomorrow. Thank you for sticking with me,**

**FishShips**


	6. Update and Apology

Hey everyone. Sorry for the lack of an update. Today has been a busy day and I will be gone for the next 4 days. So, I feel really terrible doing this to y'all after saying I would post today. Stick with me.

FishShips


	7. Gym Class Heroes

Lash Livingston does not lose.

The flexible student finally caught up with his longtime friends during lunch. Penny was complaining with two more of herself about her useless partner. Lash ignored her and turned to Speed, who was busily slurping down his lunch. He punched his friend in the shoulder to get his attention, then, between bites of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich, he explained what had happened. His scrub of a sidekick had held him up at the door and landed him in detention. Then, to make it worse, Powers decided to put the sidekick in detention with him. He had to spend an hour alone with the loser, and it had sucked massively. Lash decided not to include the whole claustrophobic panic attack, though. It seemed unnecessary to tell about that.

"It must've sucked," Speed said thoughtfully, "being in detention without me."  
Lash laughed at that. "Yeah," he said, "real tough."  
"I figured," Speed told him, "but legit, I feel bad for you. I mean, I got the glowstick for a sidekick, and even he's better than that."  
"That's not hard to do. It's not like he calls you Ian."  
"Hey, Uhhhh… Alex."

Lash sighed when he heard his name from behind, and he turned around reluctantly. His blonde haired sidekick was standing uncomfortably in front of their table.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear," Lash said jokingly.  
"Yeah," Penny added, looking at the boy like he was a particularly disgusting piece of gum that she had scraped from her shoe.  
"He's even uglier than I thought," the other Penny echoed, "Lash, can you please, like, just get him out of my face?"  
"Seriously, loser," Speed told the kid, "Unless you're dying to cough up your wallet, get lost."

Lash smirked as the boy's face turned brighter and brighter red. And he was not the only one enjoying the scene. People around the lunchroom were starting to stare at the guy, snickering at his obvious discomfort. The kid stood as though he didn't notice the commotion, arms pressed firmly to his sides like a soldier or a statue. He looked at Lash desperately, begging silently for help. Lash cocked an eyebrow at his partner.

"You heard 'em, sidekick," he said slowly, "Get moving."

The kid stayed where he was, shaking slightly, his face a dark red.

"Fine," he finally said, in a voice harder than iron. "I'll go. But just so you know, Magenta lost her phone in the air ducts, and I thought you could help, because for a moment I had the most ridiculous idea that you were actually a decent human being, Alex."

Lash spoke before the boy had a chance to turn around, and his voice matched his partner's steel for steel.

"First of all, don't call me that. Second, I don't know what gave you the idea that I give a damn about you, or your loser friends, but I don't. So, how about you walk right back to your little table and tell your girl Magenta that she can go get her own damn phone, or she can leave it in the ducts for all I care. Now if you don't mind," Lash said, crushing a pretzel between his teeth, "I'm going to eat my lunch."

He followed the blonde with his eyes while the kid shuffled back to his table of losers. The boy shook his head at the punk rock chick with the purple highlights before sitting down. Lash swallowed, shaking his head clear of his sidekick's face. He could still see it, like it was burned on the inside of his eyelids, the look that spoke of more than anger and embarrassment, but also just a hint of disappointment. Not that it mattered, Lash told himself, turning to face his friends again. After all, the sidekick should have known not to mess with Lash Livingston. Looking up, he realized that Speed was staring at him.

"What're you looking at, Speed?"  
"Nothing," his friend grumbled, "Just that well…"  
"Well what?"  
"That was… harsh, Lash, even for you."  
"Way to go," Penny squealed, "you SO showed that loser who's the boss."  
"Yeah," Speed echoed, "Just, are you sure that you didn't get one of those misplaced sidekicks? Cuz' it takes some balls to talk to you like that."

Lash glanced back at the kid, remembering the defiant stare that the sidekick had given him almost the entire day. A smile played its way across his lips, and he stood up. He looked at Speed, who was giving him a puzzled stare.

"Yeah, I guess it does," Lash said before crossing the lunchroom in two massive steps.  
Surprisingly, the dorks at his partner's table didn't notice him. At least, they didn't until he knocked the glowstick's tray into his face. Six heads whipped to face him, and he grinned dangerously. He couldn't help but notice that his sidekick was still paying far more attention to the food splattered boy than him.

"Hey there, losers," Lash said.  
"Go away."  
Stronghold and Peace spoke as one, and Lash quickly backpedaled. He did not want to get on their bad sides. Dropping the charades, he leaned carefully against their table.

"Actually," Lash said slowly, "for once, I'm not here to torture you. I know, plot twist. Don't get too think too much on it though, Stronghold. You know, if you can think."  
"What do you want," Stronghold's girlfriend butted in, her childish outfit clashing with her icy stare.  
"You."

Lash flicked a finger out towards his sidekick. The kid looked at him in shock, clearly confused about what he meant. Lash stood up, taking his hands off the table and looking down on the boy.  
"This is what I'm trying to say. After a brief talk with Penny and Speed, I decided that you are good enough to sit at our table, which means you don't have to deal with these losers anymore. Congratulations."

"Wait." The kid's response was instantaneous. "You think that I _want_ to sit with you? After everything you just said to me, after everything you've done to all of my friends, you think that I'm so idiotically shallow that I would ditch them for you? Well I've got something to tell you, Alex."  
The sidekick glared at him as he took off his glove, and pushed Lash in the chest with every word.  
"Every single one of my friends is ten times the person you could ever be. So, how about you walk right on back to your table and tell them that I'm not going anywhere."

Lash shook his head, chuckling under his breath and ignoring the smirks that he got from the sidekicks. "You know what? I'll do that. Because apparently, trying to be a decent person doesn't always work."

He turned away, but not before dumping the kid's food all over him.  
"Later, loser," he heard the golden boy shout, but he shrugged it off. He wasn't about to be taunted by a bunch of sidekicks.

"What the hell did you do?"  
Speed was already halfway to pissed off when Lash sat back down.  
"Nothing major, just messed with a few losers. Calm down."  
"Okay… but if it wasn't serious, then why is your shirt… well…"

Lash looked down, and his face turned red. Right in the middle of the black and white stripes was a hand-sized golden L.  
"That little fucker."  
His head whipped around and he glared at the boy at the sidekick table. The kid smirked and gave him a mocking wave. Lash quickly turned back around, seething. At his table, the rest of lunch was spent in angry silence, but he could still hear the laughter from the table across the room.

Lash was relieved to see that gym class came directly after lunch, and within four minutes of the lunch bell ringing, he was changed and waiting for Coach Boomer to decide what they would be doing. Speed joined him a fraction of a second later, eating something that he had probably taken from someone with 5th block lunch.

"You ready to kick ass again? I read Boomer's class plan for today while he was walking down the hall and it's Save the Citizen. And you know how much he likes to call us down."  
"I can hardly wait."  
"Well, that's good, because Coach is going to walk in in three seconds."

Three seconds later, Boomer walked through the double doors, and shouted into the locker rooms. Students, fully armored for class, fled into the gym. At another deafening shout from Boomer, the class was seated and ready for him to choose the day's victims.

"Today," the coach yelled, "We will start off with a round of Save the Citizen. I know that you all are rusty, and I do not CARE! If you are chosen, YOU WILL PARTICIPATE! Now, first up, Lash and Speed!"

Lash grinned at his friend as they walked down to the court. Under the fluorescent gym lights, their gym gear gleamed. The crowd seemed split, half jeering, and half cheering as they came to stand in front of the coach.

"Speed! Hero or Villain?"  
"Villain."  
Lash smirked. The answer never changed. Lash and Speed had been a team since freshman year, always Villains, and almost always victors. The memory of the beat down they'd gotten from Stronghold and Peace was still a very sore point for both of them.  
"Well then," Coach Boomer yelled, "Speed, you and your partner, Glow Boy over there are our Villains!"

It took a moment, for Lash to process what the coach had just said, and a few more moments for Speed to get it, too. . Up in the crowd, the glowstick was looking at their teacher like he had gone insane. Boomer gave them a feral grin, noticing their confusion with a kind of dark glee.

"As you wastes of space should already know, your sidekicks are your partners for the rest of your school life. And that includes during Save the Citizen. Now, Lash, you and your sidekick in the gold are going to be our Heroes."

Heroes. Lash knew full well that the Hero's job was by far harder than the Villain's. But if there was one thing he liked, it was a challenge. He could take Speed no problem, he thought, and the sidekick wouldn't be an issue either. _His_ sidekick though, that might be a bigger issue. The golden boy had a terrible habit of messing up anything he did. Looking up, he watched as the two sidekicks slowly made their way onto the court. Lash managed to catch his partner's eye, and received a cold glare. A few seconds later, the kid stood next to him. Lash looked at the boy with distaste, and hissed at him under his breath.

"You're dead weight. Just stay out of my way."  
"Believe me; I don't even want to be near you. Don't worry."

The coach blew his whistle loud enough to shatter some of the gym lights, and the game began. 3 minutes flashed up on the clock as the citizen began descending towards the woodchipper.

Immediately, Lash felt a sharp pain in his nose and flew back into the wall. It was obvious that Speed was as determined to win as he was. Lash scrambled to his feet and stretched to grab the rafters, quickly pulling himself off the ground. From above, he could see Speed, bouncing off the walls and around the court like a pinball on crack, and knocking his sidekick to the ground again, and again. Carefully, Lash tracked out Speed's path. Every 5 seconds, his friend would punch his partner in the face. Already the kid's face was bruised, and Lash noticed that the kid hadn't even had enough time to pull off his gloves.

Quickly, Lash reached down in front of his partner, and, praying that he timed it right, punched at thin air. He smiled as he felt his fist connect with Speed, and he instantly began to wrap his arm around him. The smile came to an abrupt halt, as Speed began to twist, spinning like a top and stretching Lash's arm to the limit before pulling him down from the ceiling. Lash fell like a rock, dazed when he hit the ground.

As his vision swam, he felt Speed begin to break out of his bonds. His friend was free, and gone before he could make it back to his feet. Lash felt his arm slowly returning to its normal shape. He'd taken a lot of strain and he knew it would take at least a minute before he could even use his arm. Hoping for some support, he looked over at his sidekick, who gazed at him passively.

"A little help," he asked, huffing for breath. His partner stared back, impassive.  
"I'm pretty sure that you told me to stay out of your way."  
"Now is not the time for this."  
"You're right," the kid said idly, "there isn't much time left."  
"So, are you going to help?"  
"Maybe."

His partner's stance told him that 'maybe' meant 'no'. Behind the sidekick, a one minute warning flashed on the clock. Lash took a moment to look at his situation, and sighed.

"Look," he said to his teammate, "I actually need your help, and maybe you don't think I deserve it, but you call yourself a good guy. So, you can keep ignoring me, and we can lose, and I will hate you. Or, you can help me out, and we might not lose, and I will hate you less. It's your choice."

Lash thought he might have seen a shadow of a smile on his sidekick's face, but it was quickly lost as the kid whipped off the gloves and looked at him seriously. 45 seconds were left on the clock when the sidekick told him the plan.

"Obviously," the kid said, "We don't have enough time. But, technically, time's only up when the citizen is destroyed. If I touch the machine, the whole thing will turn to gold. And if that happens, the blades will flatten themselves out, which means the citizen just gets a back massage. Thing is, if I take my hand off the machine, it goes back to normal, which leaves you to take out Zach and Speed. Does that sound good to you, Alex?"

Lash looked up at the clock to see if they had time to think of something better, but instead only saw a 30 second warning. His response was quick.  
"No, it doesn't, but it's the best we've got, so let's just do this."

Lash saw Speed move as his teammate darted for the wood chipper. Their opponents had been waiting, assuming that he and his partner would have argued until the timer ran out. Now, caught off guard, Speed was a little slow to start moving. Lash used that split second to stretch his leg across the gym floor, tripping his friend as he ran towards his sidekick. Then, grabbing Speed by the leg, he tossed him back at the glowstick. His teammate had made it to the chipper just in time, and he could see that the spikes were already golden and flat. He thought he caught the shadow smile again, but then the sidekick turned back to the machine, leaving Lash with two opponents now getting to their feet.

Speed rushed at him, too quickly for him to put up any resistance. Then a moment later, he felt his back being slammed into a wall. Above, the clock had long since reached zero.

"Sorry," Speed told him, pinning him to the wall by his neck.  
"So am I," he replied, knocking Speed off his feet with his free arm. Before Speed could stand back up, Lash had him dangling from a pole by the straps of his gym gear. Then, he turned his attention to the sidekick. He stalked over to the white haired punk in a few massive steps, and towered over him by at least ten feet.

"You have anything to say, glowstick?"  
The sidekick gave him a cocky grin.  
"Actually, yeah, man. You're about to lose. BAM!"

Lash wondered what the sidekick meant, until he saw Speed disentangling himself from the pole and charging right at his partner. In a split second he made a plan for what he had to do. He knew that tripping Speed was not going to work again, and that doing nothing would put his sidekick in danger. So, hoping that the effects of his teammate's power would linger for at least a few seconds, he reached out and grabbed his partner. Then, yanking his arm back with all the force he could muster he pulled the boy out of Speed's path, which also meant next to himself.

"Thanks, Alex," Midas told him, seemingly unfazed by his sudden change in location, "but that was really stupid."

Lash had no time to ask why before the sidekick in front of them burst into a glow so bright it blinded him, burning his eyes even after he closed them. And for once, he understood exactly how the beam of a laser gun could knock someone out. He did not get to see when the gold wore off, and the dummy citizen was torn to shreds, which was probably a good thing.

**Sorry for the crazy wait, but such is my life. Hopefully this extra long chapter will make up for it. I have lots of new chapters in store, and plan on getting back to once daily updates now. As usual, if you like the story favorite it, and if you want to keep up with it, please follow. I love both. Now carry on with your deviant selves.**

**Thanks for sticking with me,  
FishShips**


	8. Bad Dinner and a Bad Movie

Midas Millerson likes terrible movies.

Midas walked cautiously into the lobby of his apartment complex. He heard the bus roll away behind him before the glass doors slid shut. Midas let out a breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding. He tried reflecting on the day as he rode the elevator to the top floor.

As he thought about it, he figured that the day hadn't gone quite as poorly as he had expected. That Alex had taken their loss poorly was the understatement of the year, but it could have been worse. In fact, after their final class, he offered to get Magenta's phone. Magenta told him to, 'get the fuck out of her sight,' but Midas gave him points for trying. Still, Alex definitely was not a reformed human being. About 20 minutes later, he was busy shoving a freshman's head in the toilet.

The ding of the elevator brought Midas out of his reverie. The doors slid open silently, and he immediately stepped out. He fumbled around in his pocket as he walked toward Apartment 1140. His fingers found the key just in time, and he unlocked the door to his family's apartment smoothly. As soon as the door opened, the noise hit him. The sound of explosions echoed into the hall. Midas grinned, touching the soundproofed inside of the door and letting it swing shut. He sauntered through the narrow entryway and into the spacious living room. Flashes of bright light came from the general direction of the kitchen, reflecting off the floor to ceiling window. Midas shouted over the din.

"Dad, I'm home!"  
"Huh?"

The lights and blasts came to a sudden stop, leaving Midas' ears ringing. A few seconds later his dad poked his head out of the kitchen. With his slight frame and thinning black hair, it was hard to believe that Harold Millerson was a retired hero. But the energy that seemed to radiate from him gave anyone a clear idea that he had been someone important, though that would warrant another achievement in understatements. The Alchemist had been one of the most well-known heroes in the world 20 years earlier. But then he stepped out of the limelight, to attempt to be a father.

"Hey kiddo how was school?"  
"It was pretty good. I got a partner."  
"Yeah, I'm sure you got a great sidekick."

Midas paused. After two years, he still hadn't told his father about his power. And his dad was fine about not knowing. The man simply assumed his son was in Hero Class, and Midas had never found the heart to tell him otherwise. He thought about telling his dad right then, but a buzz in his pocket gave him a reason not to. Telling his dad would almost certain mean the loss of his phone, if not his life.

"He's okay. Kind of a jerk, but it's mostly an act."  
"Sounds good. I bet you have a lot of work to do. What with getting back to school and whatnot. So I will leave you to it. If you need me, I'll be in the kitchen, making dinner."

His dad hurried back into the kitchen, where the bangs and flashes started again. Midas sighed and jogged up the short staircase to his door. Behind him, he could still hear his dad's poor attempts at cooking.

"You know," Midas shouted, "you could always just go to the store and buy a chicken! You know, instead of trying to make one out of the air! I don't think we have enough carbon in the air in here!"

His dad did not respond, and Midas slid into his room. He closed the door behind him, the soundproofed inside blocking out the sounds of his father's power. Midas sat down at his desk and began unpacking his schoolwork before remembering about his phone. Quickly, he pulled the phone out of his pocket, checking to see what had happened. Layla had sent him a text. A rapid skim through her essaylike message gave him all the information he needed. She wanted him to go see "The Room" with her at the Bad Egg Cinema.

Midas shot her back a text in confirmation. He dragged his wallet off his desk and into his pocket, making sure he had enough to pay for the film. Then, opening the door and shouting a weak excuse towards the kitchen, he ran out of the apartment. He wondered momentarily why his dad had not bought him a car when he sat down at the bus stop outside the tower. It wasn't that he particularly needed one, or that he particularly wanted one. But wasn't someone with an incredibly rich father, and the power to turn anything into precious metal supposed to have things like that? Midas quickly smothered the thought, as Layla would have told him that he was acting entitled, which, quite honestly, he was.

Midas checked his watch while he waited. The movie was supposed to start at 6:05, which really meant 6:30. The bus was supposed to come at 5:20, which really meant 5:35. He figured he had enough time to make it.

As predicted, the bus arrived at 5:35. Midas made his way onto public transportation with only the faintest expression of distaste. He really hated sitting in a hot, crowded place, with people he didn't know, and their kids, all talking or being generally loud and obnoxious, for an extended period of time, and with the inability to use his powers, or more importantly, remove his gloves to cool down. After what felt like a decade, but was probably just half an hour, the bus came to a stop at Ledgeview Plaza.

Midas hurried off the bus, slowing down only after he had turned the corner. Ledgeview Plaza was a pretty new place. A revamped factory had been turned into a multitude of low rise buildings, mainly art studios and small concert venues. The Bad Egg Cinema was tucked far back, near the clothing stores and a few restaurants. The place mainly showed recent films at reduced prices, but every week it also showed one or two older movies that were known to be completely awful. Midas had known about it for the past three years, and after Layla revealed that she was a fellow bad movie aficionado, they started going at least twice a month.

Midas made his way through the narrow streets and small crowds and saw Layla inside the MAOZ. She was not alone. Sitting next to her, clearly annoyed, and definitely not hungry, was Zach. Midas was ready to bolt, but then Layla saw him through the glass and pointed him out to his neon crush. Knowing he was trapped, he feigned calm and walked into the restaurant.

"Hi, Midas!" Layla rushed to give him a hug the instant he walked in, and then quickly pulled him to their table. Midas gave her a look of betrayal that disappeared the instant Zach nodded at him.

"'Sup' man," Zach said loudly, attracting the attention of the half of the restaurant that wasn't already staring at his outfit.

Midas was sure they made an odd trio. Layla, with her green, flower child getup, Zach in neon yellow and lime green, and himself looking like one of those street side performers. He tried to reply and end the awkwardness that was beginning to develop around the table.

"Why are you here? I mean, not that I don't want you to be here, because I do, but I didn't know you were coming, and I only expected Layla to be here."  
"Man, she invited me. Bad movies are cool, bro."  
"Have you even seen a bad movie?"  
"Nah, but I just know they're hella cool."

Midas just sighed at his friend's bluster. Zach tended to get a little wound up over things that he didn't really understand, but Midas thought it was kind of cute. Not many people had that much enthusiasm for anything, much less bad movies. Maybe this wouldn't be as terribly uncomfortable as he had expected. Then Layla chimed in.

"I invited Zach to see The Room with us because I figured that it would be rude not to include at least another of our friends in our plans. It is a new school year after all, things might change."

The way that Layla said those last three words worried Midas. Layla had taken to promoting openness among their friend group over the past year, with mixed results. She learned that while getting Warren to talk was a challenge, getting him to talk about personal stuff was a safety hazard. But the fact that she alone knew about Midas' crush was something that she was not pleased with. Of course, she wanted Midas to be the one to bring it up, and kept trying to create situations that she considered safe ways for him to tell Zach. That was not working out very well. The uncomfortable silence that settled on the group as they walked to the theater was proof of that.

The three of them bought separate tickets and walked into the theater. Midas stayed behind and bought the popcorn and then ran to the room to sit between Zach and Layla. He offered Zach some before the screening room began to get dark. Midas mentally raged at Layla as he realized what was about to happen. Zach's glow was becoming more and more apparent the darker the room got. Midas nudged the glowing junior a little harder than he had intended, eliciting a loud groan.

"Power down," Midas hissed, "You're going to get noticed."

Zach's eyes widened like being discovered had just occurred to him, which it had, and he quickly stopped glowing. Midas prayed that the people in the theater hadn't noticed. Then the movie started and everyone was subject to an hour and a half of Zach's continual complaints. Needless to say, it was not the most enjoyable experience.

In the theater lobby, Zach was silent, still in shock from the sheer awfulness of the movie. Midas was grateful when the movie ended, not because he disliked the film, but because he had been embarrassed to sit next to Zach. As much as he liked him, the guy could be a bit obnoxious. Layla looked as though she felt the same way. Her disappointment at Zach was evident in her less exuberant demeanor. But she quickly perked up again.

"Okay," she said cheerily, "maybe that wasn't the best film to start off with, but there are still a lot of things to do. It's about 8, so there should be at least a few bands out tonight, right? Let's just, go and see them."  
"What the hell! That movie sucked!"

Zach broke his silence suddenly, and probably a few eardrums as well. Midas cringed and tried to carry on with Layla's train of thought.

"Yeah. I think a band sounds great. Wait. Zach, you do like indie bands, right?"  
"Totally, bro! Anything's better than that."  
"Well then," Midas replied, knowing that Zach still had no idea what he was talking about, "tickets are on me."  
"Actually," Layla interrupted as they walked out of the Bad Egg, "I am a self-sufficient woman. I don't need you paying for my stuff, Midas."  
"You didn't say that last time I paid for your frozen yogurt."  
"That's different. It didn't make it feel like you were trying to date me."  
"Whatever. Buy your own if it makes you happy."

It was a long walk back towards the main road, and the three super students walked it in silence. Layla pointed out Centerstage, a small place that had concerts pretty much every night. Midas knew she picked it because the tickets were cheap, but he followed her in anyways. It wasn't quite as low rent as he had expected. Whatever band was playing inside obviously had a killer bassist. He could literally feel the sound vibrating in his bones. Layla was already inside. He quickly coughed up fifty bucks for his and Zach's tickets, and then walked in to see the band play.

**A/N: Sorry for the longer-than-promised update time, but as I progress, I realize that once a day is damn near impossible. I will continue to update this story whenever I can, and hopefully every other day. Again, follows and favs are much appreciated and I love reviews. They help me become a better writer. I know the chapter ends suddenly, but trust me there's a reason. Also, if you ever have time, watch The Room. It is a real movie, and it is truly awful.**

**Much Love,  
FishShips**


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